The conquest of the Arab dynasties and the Turkic people paved the way for the entry of Islam into Central Asia and its wider spread. Originally the Arab dynasty, the Umayyad Caliphate entered Central Asia with the intention of conquering and establishing bases in the mid-7th century. This has been considered the first Muslim colonization (Esposito 21). This is why Arab armies established themselves in the Indus River delta, located in northwest India, at the beginning of the 8th century. It was named with an Arabic name “Sindh” (Metcalf 3). Even though there were indigenous peoples, over time they converted to Islam with the emergence of local kingdoms. Alongside the Arab conquest, another wave of conquests hit India reinforcing the spread of Islam in the 11th century. It was led by the Turkish conqueror Muhammad of Ghor (Metcalf 6). They established a large territory with an organized government named Delhi Sultanate. The conquerors used the stage to convert to Islam with the help of the ruling class. They persuade Hindus to become Muslims by attacking many Hindu temples, building shrines on Hindu temple sites, and repeating Hindu stories with Muslim characters so that they can create an environment conducive for Islam to exist. Yet some readers may dispute this claim that forcing and persuading were the means used by the Turkish conquerors to spread Islam, but the style of mosques built during this era bears witness to the transformation of Hindu temples into mosques (). Besides the conquerors, Muslim traders recognized themselves as being responsible for the expansion of Islam in India. Islam spread more widely with the arrival of Muslim merchants and traders...... middle of paper ...... legalism and soul culture over social interactions. Sufism facilitates the fusion of Islam with pre-Islamic practices and cultures (Huahan, “Spread of Islam in South Asia”). While pre-Islamic law continued to govern the indigenous population, Islamic law was limited to specific religious matters such as strict adherence to Islamic customs. Furthermore, the teachings of Sufism are outside social class and outside jurisprudence. Additionally, Sufis generally speak of God's mercy, gentleness, and beauty rather than wrath, severity, and majesty. Literally, these positive customs of Sufism gave hope to the lower classes of the indigenous religious population. Plus, it wasn't a challenge to adapt. Thus, conversion came easily and Islam to indigenous people because Sufism tended to be more tolerant of indigenous animist religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism..